-
-
## Description
-`bspwm` is a tiling window manager based on binary space partitioning.
-
-The windows are represented as the leaves of a binary tree.
-
-## Configuration
-
-`bspwm` have only two sources of informations: the X events it receives and the messages it reads on a dedicated socket.
-
-Those messages are sent via `bspc`.
-
-If the `BSPWM_SOCKET` environment variable is defined, it will be used as the socket path, otherwise `/tmp/bspwm-socket` is used.
-
-The recommended way of defining keyboard shortcuts is to use [sxhkd](https://github.com/baskerville/sxhkd).
-
-The only way to configure `bspwm` is by sending *set* messages via the client, hence `bspwm`'s configuration file is an executable called `autostart` which lives in `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/bspwm/`.
-
-Example configurations: [autostart](https://github.com/baskerville/bin/blob/master/bspwm_autostart) and [sxhkdrc](https://github.com/baskerville/dotfiles/blob/master/sxhkdrc).
-
-## Splitting Modes
-
-There is only two splitting modes: *automatic* and *manual*.
-
-The default mode is *automatic*. The *manual* mode is entered by sending a *presel* message.
-
-Example: insertion of a new node (number 4) into the given tree in
-*automatic* mode:
-
- b c
- / \ / \
- 3 a --> 4 b
- ^ / \ ^ / \
- 2 1 3 a
- / \
- 2 1
- +-------------------------+ +-------------------------+
- | | | | | |
- | | 2 | | | 3 |
- | | | | | |
- | 3 |------------| --> | 4 |------------|
- | ^ | | | ^ | | |
- | | 1 | | | 1 | 2 |
- | | | | | | |
- +-------------------------+ +-------------------------+
-
-Same departure, but the mode is *manual*, and a `presel up` message
-was sent beforehand:
-
- b b
- / \ / \
- 3 a --> c a
- ^ / \ / \ / \
- 2 1 4 3 2 1
- ^
- +-------------------------+ +-------------------------+
- | | | | | |
- | | 2 | | 4 | 2 |
- | | | | ^ | |
- | 3 |------------| --> |------------|------------|
- | ^ | | | | |
- | | 1 | | 3 | 1 |
- | | | | | |
- +-------------------------+ +-------------------------+
-
-## Synopsis
-
- bspwm [-v|-s STATUS_FIFO]
-
- bspc MESSAGE [ARGUMENTS] [OPTIONS]
-
-## Messages
-
-The syntax for the client is `bspc MESSAGE [ARGUMENTS ...]`.
+*bspwm* is a tiling window manager that represents windows as the leaves of a full binary tree.
-The following messages are handled:
+It only responds to X events, and the messages it receives on a dedicated socket.
-- `get SETTING` — Return the value of the given setting.
+*bspc* is a program that writes messages on *bspwm*'s socket.
-- `set SETTING VALUE` — Set the value of the given setting.
+*bspwm* doesn't handle any keyboard or pointer inputs: a third party program (e.g. *sxhkd*) is needed in order to translate keyboard and pointer events to *bspc* invocations.
-- `list [DESKTOP_NAME]` — Output the internal representation of the window tree.
+The outlined architecture is the following:
-- `list_desktops [--quiet]` — Perform a dump of each desktop for the current monitor.
+```
+ PROCESS SOCKET
+sxhkd --------> bspc <------> bspwm
+```
-- `list_monitors [--quiet]` — Perform a dump of each monitor.
-
-- `list_windows` — Return the list of managed windows (i.e. their identifiers).
-
-- `list_rules` — Return the list of rules.
-
-- `presel left|right|up|down [SPLIT_RATIO]` — Switch to manual mode and select the splitting direction.
-
-- `cancel` — Switch to automatic mode.
-
-- `ratio VALUE` — Set the splitting ratio of the focused window.
-
-- `pad MONITOR_NAME [TOP_PADDING [RIGHT_PADDING [BOTTOM_PADDING [LEFT_PADDING]]]]` — Set the padding of the given monitor.
-
-- `focus left|right|up|down` — Focus the neighbor window situated in the given direction.
-
-- `shift left|right|up|down` — Exchange the current window with the given neighbor.
-
-- `swap` — Swap the focused window with the last focused window.
-
-- `push left|right|up|down` — Push the fence located in the given direction.
-
-- `pull left|right|up|down` — Pull the fence located in the given direction.
-
-- `cycle next|prev [--skip-floating|--skip-tiled|--skip-class-equal|--skip-class-differ]` — Focus the next or previous window matching the given constraints.
-
-- `nearest older|newer [--skip-floating|--skip-tiled|--skip-class-equal|--skip-class-differ]` — Focus the nearest window matching the given constraints.
-
-- `circulate forward|backward` — Circulate the leaves in the given direction.
-
-- `grab_pointer move|resize|focus|move_tiled|resize_tiled` — Begin the specified pointer action.
-
-- `track_pointer ROOT_X ROOT_Y` — Pass the pointer root coordinates for the current pointer action.
-
-- `ungrab_pointer` — End the current pointer action.
-
-- `toggle_fullscreen` — Toggle the fullscreen state of the current window.
-
-- `toggle_floating` — Toggle the floating state of the current window.
-
-- `toggle_locked` — Toggle the locked state of the current window (locked windows will not respond to the `close` message).
-
-- `toggle_visibility` — Toggle the visibility of all the managed windows.
+## Configuration
-- `close` — Close the focused window.
+The default configuration file is `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/bspwm/bspwmrc`: this is simply a shell script that calls *bspc*.
-- `kill` — Kill the focused window.
+An argument is passed to that script to indicate whether is was executed after a restart (`$1 -gt 0`) or not (`$1 -eq 0`).
-- `send_to DESKTOP_NAME [--follow]` — Send the focused window to the given desktop.
+Keyboard and pointer bindings are defined with [sxhkd](https://github.com/baskerville/sxhkd).
-- `drop_to next|prev [--follow]` — Send the focused window to the next or previous desktop.
+Example configuration files can be found in the [examples](examples) directory.
-- `send_to_monitor MONITOR_NAME [--follow]` — Send the focused window to the given monitor.
+## Monitors, desktops and windows
-- `drop_to_monitor next|prev [--follow]` — Send the focused window to the next or previous monitor.
+*bspwm* holds a list of monitors.
-- `use DESKTOP_NAME` — Select the given desktop.
+A monitor is just a rectangle that contains desktops.
-- `use_monitor MONITOR_NAME` — Select the given monitor.
+A desktop is just a pointer to a tree.
-- `alternate` — Alternate between the current and the last focused window.
+Monitors only show the tree of one desktop at a time (their focused desktop).
-- `alternate_desktop` — Alternate between the current and the last focused desktop.
+The tree is a partition of a monitor's rectangle into smaller rectangular regions.
-- `alternate_monitor` — Alternate between the current and the last focused monitor.
+Each node in a tree either has zero or two children.
-- `add DESKTOP_NAME ...` — Make new desktops with the given names.
+Each internal node is responsible for splitting a rectangle in half.
-- `add_in MONITOR_NAME DESKTOP_NAME ...` — Make new desktops with the given names in the given monitor.
+A split is defined by two parameters: the type (horizontal or vertical) and the ratio (a real number *r* such that *0 < r < 1*).
-- `rename_monitor CURRENT_NAME NEW_NAME` — Rename the monitor named `CURRENT_NAME` to `NEW_NAME`.
+Each leaf node holds exactly one window.
-- `rename CURRENT_NAME NEW_NAME` — Rename the desktop named `CURRENT_NAME` to `NEW_NAME`.
+## Insertion modes
-- `cycle_monitor next|prev` — Select the next or previous monitor.
+When *bspwm* receives a new window, it inserts it into a window tree at the specified insertion point (a leaf) using the insertion mode specified for that insertion point.
-- `cycle_desktop next|prev [--skip-free|--skip-occupied]` — Select the next or previous desktop.
+The insertion mode tells *bspwm* how it should alter the tree in order to insert new windows on a given insertion point.
-- `layout monocle|tiled [DESKTOP_NAME ...]` — Set the layout of the given desktops (current if none given).
+By default the insertion point is the focused window and its insertion mode is *automatic*.
-- `cycle_layout` — Cycle the layout of the current desktop.
+### Manual mode
-- `rotate clockwise|counter_clockwise|full_cycle` — Rotate the window tree.
+The user can specify a region in the insertion point where the next new window should appear by sending a *node -p|--presel-dir DIR* message to *bspwm*.
-- `flip horizontal|vertical` — Flip the window tree.
+The *DIR* argument allows to specify how the insertion point should be split (horizontally or vertically) and if the new window should be the first or the second child of the new internal node (the insertion point will become its *brother*).
-- `rule PATTERN [DESKTOP_NAME] [floating]` — Create a new rule (`PATTERN` must match the class or instance name).
+After doing so the insertion point goes into *manual* mode.
-- `remove_rule UID ...` — Remove the rules with the given UIDs.
+Let's consider the following scenario:
-- `adopt_orphans` — Manage all the unmanaged windows remaining from a previous session.
+```
+ a a a
+ / \ / \ / \
+ 1 b ---> c b ---> c b
+ ^ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \
+ 2 3 4 1 2 3 d 1 2 3
+ ^ / \
+ 5 4
+ ^
-- `reload_autostart` — Reload the autostart file.
++-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
+| | | | | | | | | |
+| | 2 | | 4 | 2 | | 5 | 4 | 2 |
+| | | | ^ | | | ^ | | |
+| 1 |-----------| |-----------|-----------| |-----------|-----------|
+| ^ | | | | | | | |
+| | 3 | | 1 | 3 | | 1 | 3 |
+| | | | | | | | |
++-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
-- `reload_settings` — Reload the default settings.
+ X Y Z
+```
-- `restore FILE_PATH` — Restore the layout of each desktop from the content of `FILE_PATH`.
+In state *X*, the insertion point is *1*.
-- `quit [EXIT_STATUS]` — Quit.
+We send the following message to *bspwm*: *node -p north*.
-## Settings
+Then add a new window: *4*, this leads to state *Y*: the new internal node, *c* becomes *a*'s first child.
-Colors are either [X color names](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X11_color_names) or *#RRGGBB*, booleans are *true* or *false*.
+Finally we send another message: *node -p west* and add window *5*.
-- `focused_border_color` — Color of the border of a focused window of a focused monitor.
+The ratio of the preselection (that ends up being the ratio of the split of the new internal node) can be changed with the *node -o|--presel-ratio* message.
-- `active_border_color` — Color of the border of a focused window of an unfocused monitor.
+### Automatic mode
-- `normal_border_color` — Color of the border of an unfocused window.
+The *automatic* mode, as opposed to the *manual* mode, doesn't require any user choice. The way the new window is inserted is determined by the value of the automatic scheme and the initial polarity settings.
-- `presel_border_color` — Color of the `presel` message feedback.
+#### Longest side scheme
-- `focused_locked_border_color` — Color of the border of a focused locked window of a focused monitor.
+When the value of the automatic scheme is `longest_side`, the window will be attached as if the insertion point was in manual mode and the split direction was chosen based on the dimensions of the tiling rectangle and the initial polarity.
-- `active_locked_border_color` — Color of the border of a focused locked window of an unfocused monitor.
+Let's consider the following scenario, where the initial polarity is set to `second_child`:
-- `normal_locked_border_color` — Color of the border of an unfocused locked window.
+```
+ 1 a a
+ ^ / \ / \
+ ---> 1 2 ---> 1 b
+ ^ / \
+ 2 3
+ ^
-- `urgent_border_color` — Color of the border of an urgent window.
+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | 2 |
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | 1 | | 1 | 2 | | 1 |-----------|
+ | ^ | | | ^ | | | |
+ | | | | | | | 3 |
+ | | | | | | | ^ |
+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
-- `border_width` — Window border width.
+ X Y Z
+```
-- `window_gap` — Value of the gap that separates windows.
+In state *X*, a new window is added.
-- `{top,right,bottom,left}_padding` — Padding space added at the sides of the current monitor.
+Since *1* is wide, it gets split vertically and *2* is added as *a*'s second child given the initial polarity.
-- `wm_name` — The value that shall be used for the `_NET_WM_NAME` property of the root window.
+This leads to *Y* where we insert window *3*. *2* is tall and is therefore split horizontally. *3* is once again added as *b*'s second child.
-- `borderless_monocle` — Whether to remove borders for tiled windows in monocle mode.
+#### Alternate scheme
-- `gapless_monocle` — Whether to remove gaps for tiled windows in monocle mode.
+When the value of the automatic scheme is `alternate`, the window will be attached as if the insertion point was in manual mode and the split direction was chosen based on the split type of the insertion point's parent and the initial polarity. If the parent is split horizontally, the insertion point will be split vertically and vice versa.
-- `focus_follows_pointer` — Wether to focus the window under the pointer.
+#### Spiral scheme
-- `adaptative_raise` — Prevent floating windows from being raised when they might cover other floating windows.
+When the value of the automatic scheme is `spiral`, the window will *take the space* of the insertion point.
-- `apply_shadow_property` — Enable shadows for floating windows via the `_COMPTON_SHADOW` property.
+Let's dive into the details with the following scenario:
-- `fence_grip` — If the distance to the nearest fence is greater than `fence_grip`, the `resize_tiled` action will not be engaged.
+```
+ a a a
+ / \ / \ / \
+ 1 b ---> 1 c ---> 1 d
+ / \ / \ / \
+ 2 3 4 b 5 c
+ ^ ^ / \ ^ / \
+ 3 2 b 4
+ / \
+ 3 2
-## Key Features
+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
+ | | | | | | | | |
+ | | 2 | | | 4 | | | 5 |
+ | | ^ | | | ^ | | | ^ |
+ | 1 |-----------| | 1 |-----------| | 1 |-----------|
+ | | | | | | | | | 3 | |
+ | | 3 | | | 3 | 2 | | |-----| 4 |
+ | | | | | | | | | 2 | |
+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+ +-----------------------+
-- Configured and controlled through messages
-- Multiple monitors support (via *Xinerama*)
-- EWMH support (`tint2` works)
-- Automatic and manual modes
+ X Y Z
+```
-## Panel
+In state *X*, the insertion point, *2* is in automatic mode.
-Multiple choices:
-- `dzen2` fed with the output of `ewmhstatus`. Example: [launchpanel](https://github.com/baskerville/bin/blob/master/launchpanel).
-- A custom panel if the `-s` flag is used (have a look at the files in `examples/`).
-- Any EWMH compliant panel (e.g. `tint2`, `bmpanel2`, etc.).
+When we add a new window, *4*, the whole tree rooted at *b* is reattached, as the second child of a new internal node, *c*.
-## Required Libraries:
+The splitting parameters of *b* (type: *horizontal*, ratio: *½*) are copied to *c* and *b* is rotated by 90° clockwise.
-- libxcb
-- xcb-util
-- xcb-util-wm
+The tiling rectangle of *4* in state *Y* is equal to the tiling rectangle of *2* in state *X*.
-## Installation
+Then the insertion of *5*, with *4* as insertion point, leads to *Z*.
- make
- make install
+The *spiral* automatic scheme generates window spirals that rotate clockwise (resp. anti-clockwise) if the insertion point is the first (resp. second) child of its parent.
-## Contributors
-- [Ivan Kanakarakis](https://github.com/c00kiemon5ter)
+## Supported protocols and standards
-## Mailing List
+- The RandR and Xinerama protocols.
+- A subset of the EWMH and ICCCM standards.
-bspwm *at* librelist *dot* com.
+## Community
-## License
+Want to get in touch with other *bspwm* users or you need help? Join us on our:
-BSD.
+- Subreddit at [r/bspwm](https://www.reddit.com/r/bspwm/).
+- IRC channel at `#bspwm` on `irc.libera.chat` (maintained by [@dannycolin](https://github.com/dannycolin) / sdk on IRC).
+- Matrix room at https://matrix.to/#/#bspwm:matrix.org
projects / bspwm.git / blobdiff